Raf_Bob, thanks for the reply! I'm using LM13 as well, 64-bit. Getting itchy about what we'll see in LM14...

I spotted something in a post in another thread about watermarks causing some problems, and I'm wondering if that may be the case with these. It's only a small group of images, but always PDFs, which made me wonder if it might be a formatting issue with a later version of Acrobat that DV and GIMP cannot interpret.

Hi Craig, can you quote a few plan ID numbers that work for you and a few that don't - just so I can have a look from here? I am curious about versions of pdf and what kinds of problems can arise.

Originally Posted by Sundancer

Neither can I Steve

And neither can I.

When I raised the point of having the CAD plans ( where they exist) at no time did I or Steve in his positive response advocate that PDF formats would be dropped. CAD plans would simply be another version of the models in question added to the archive and to the database. For those who prefer to stay with the PDF format - fine but that is no reason to deny those who can usefully use the CAD versions access to CAD plans, and there must be many across the globe since apart from professional CAD users, ModelCad and its successor must have sold quite a few copies to modellers to make it worthwhile producing.

The fact that Steve came back quickly with a positive response to my suggestion indicated to me that he could readily implement it.
Steve is clearly well versed in databasing ( is that a word ??) and his tag system bang on the nail for us modellers, but the icing on the cake was combining the database search with a wingspan function - absolutely brilliant and saved me a lot of work ploughing thru the plans for small indoors rubber models for me to build for my grandson to fly at the local indoor meet this weekend.

many thanks, Steve

John

Originally Posted by WMD

Hi Craig, can you quote a few plan ID numbers that work for you and a few that don't - just so I can have a look from here? I am curious about versions of pdf and what kinds of problems can arise.

Steve,

Two right off the bat are the P-51B plan by Bill Harney, ID# 64, and the afore-mentioned Snow White, by Joe Raspante, ID# 3314. It took a long time for GIMP to pull out the images from the Snow White PDF, and I'm still trying to get the P-51 image. Both of these completely choke a dual-core Athlon.

As for plans that seem to come up immediately, look at the Akromaster-20 by Y Matsumoto, ID# 2655, and the Frog 45 Mk II by Frog, ID# 2249. I don't seem to have any issues with these.

Originally Posted by cpmcgraw

Steve,

Two right off the bat are the P-51B plan by Bill Harney, ID# 64, and the afore-mentioned Snow White, by Joe Raspante, ID# 3314. It took a long time for GIMP to pull out the images from the Snow White PDF, and I'm still trying to get the P-51 image. Both of these completely choke a dual-core Athlon.

As for plans that seem to come up immediately, look at the Akromaster-20 by Y Matsumoto, ID# 2655, and the Frog 45 Mk II by Frog, ID# 2249. I don't seem to have any issues with these.

As the main problem seems to be with linux users, and why not use it its free, ratther than tying up Steve`s time trying to sort out the few files giving you problems I am more than willing to convert the PDF`s back to a graphic format that loads in linux and mail back to you.
Roger

Originally Posted by cpmcgraw

Steve,

Two right off the bat are the P-51B plan by Bill Harney, ID# 64, and the afore-mentioned Snow White, by Joe Raspante, ID# 3314. It took a long time for GIMP to pull out the images from the Snow White PDF, and I'm still trying to get the P-51 image. Both of these completely choke a dual-core Athlon.

As for plans that seem to come up immediately, look at the Akromaster-20 by Y Matsumoto, ID# 2655, and the Frog 45 Mk II by Frog, ID# 2249. I don't seem to have any issues with these.

Steve, I have exactly the same experience! System monitor shows 100% cpu usage and even swap area being used to about 18%. I thinks it's something to do with Adobe reader but I,m not sure. I'm not sufficiently computer savvy to be able to give a difinitive reason.

Steve, all I can say is thanks. I am self taught with TurboCad and these plans have been wonderful. I import them and trace them so that I can create a cut file since I own a home laser, and then I have a kit. Thanks again for your efforts.

John

Originally Posted by Raf_Bob

Steve, I have exactly the same experience! System monitor shows 100% cpu usage and even swap area being used to about 18%. I thinks it's something to do with Adobe reader but I,m not sure. I'm not sufficiently computer savvy to be able to give a difinitive reason.

Interesting. I have no idea how this works. Both those plans were produced by others, not me, so I just copied them and listed them as they were. I assume different people produce PDFs in different ways, I mean if it was exported from Gimp as a PDF or ditto from Photoshop, there may be some differences in the .. encoding? Plus of course the user settings chosen at that point will vary.

If it was me, it would be from Photoshop CS3 and exported to PDF using the settings I show here : http://www.outerzone.co.uk/tutorials/02/index.asp at the bottom of the page .

The P51 plan at ID# 64 seems to be at a resolution of 800 dpi, which is very high, and gives a total px width of 30,000 pixels - I think that rings a bell, maybe images over that size cause problems? It works fine for me on my PC here ... not easy for me to check what you are seeing without installing the linux os and all that etc. Which is not a trivial job.

Yeah, I knew I'd seen that number before. This here is is the warning that pops up in Photoshop when I try to increase the image size above 30,000 pixels...

I wonder if your app chokes when it tries to open up big images, over that limit? The Snow White at ID# 3314 will be even larger. Can you check that?

It is a superb site and I congratulate you on a fine job!!!! I especially like the site because it isn't flooded with BS about copyrights and un-related stuff. It is helping to keep the hobby enjoyable.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Rubbernecker

Steve, all I can say is thanks. I am self taught with TurboCad and these plans have been wonderful. I import them and trace them so that I can create a cut file since I own a home laser, and then I have a kit. Thanks again for your efforts.

John

After seeing the cad renditions of some of the posted plans I m quite interested in having a go so have ordered Turbocad 16 from PC World as it is on special at £9.99 post free. Now all we need is one of the turbocad users to give us a tutorial on importing and tracing plans to give us all a flying start.

Originally Posted by aeromeddeler

After seeing the cad renditions of some of the posted plans I m quite interested in having a go so have ordered Turbocad 16 from PC World as it is on special at £9.99 post free. Now all we need is one of the turbocad users to give us a tutorial on importing and tracing plans to give us all a flying start.

Shoot me a pm when you get it and I will be glad to help. BTW, I was in Normandy in 2004 for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Was very touching. I worked for the City of Bedford at the time. That is where the D-Day Memorial is located. They gave the most per capita then any other city in the USA. Stayed with a host French family and they were wonderful. Still keep in touch today. I was with a group (The Bedford International Alliance) that followed the path of the Bedford Boys and we started in Ivy Bridge England. One of the members of our group lost 2 of her brothers on that dreadful day.

Best Regards

John

Originally Posted by aeromeddeler

After seeing the cad renditions of some of the posted plans I m quite interested in having a go so have ordered Turbocad 16 from PC World as it is on special at £9.99 post free. Now all we need is one of the turbocad users to give us a tutorial on importing and tracing plans to give us all a flying start.

I suggest we start a new discussion thread for this, ie on learning how to trace over old plans with TurboCAD to make new plans. Have checked with hogal and he is happy to join in, I hope everyone else who's interested in CAD plans will jump in, too.

Steve

Edit: ok, here is the new thread link - http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1752132 - Using TurboCAD

Originally Posted by cpmcgraw

Hello, Steve, from Mobile, Alabama, USA!

Love your site, and have been spending far too much time poking around and downloading. You are doing for model airplanes what "Ye Olde Rocket Plans" and "JimZ" have been doing for a number of years with model rockets, and from this old fart...(cough)...uh, builder, it's much appreciated!

When I walk into the LHS these days, it saddens me to see the nearly-total absence of airplane KITS on the shelves. Twenty-odd years ago, when I worked a local shop, virtually every RC plane was still a kit.

Kits? What kits? When I started there wasn't even a single balsa sheet 300miles around so I had to convince a local joiner to get me 1cm square strips of cryptomeria (10x denser than balsa) which I had to whittle to the sizes I wanted! Ribs etc were made from card. And I had to enlarge my plans from magazines by hand on wrapping paper which I bought by the roll (honest!)!

So I won't accept your rating as Old Fart, Middle Fart at most

And yes, Steve, keep posting the drawings as PDFs, and DXFs optional if available would be nice as well


Note: The above is not a rant, it makes me look like I had to grow my own balsa but that whas how I actually started modelling and it did provide me with a set of skills that were and still are very useful to me and for which I'm thankful. Yup, no ARFs back then and if there were I wouldn't be able to afford them anyway...

Outerzone is the root of all evil!!!! Since finding it I have turned into an obsessive plan addict, scouring the net for plans. I must have more...more I tell you... more!.

Thank you Steve for this introduction to a whole new world (how come I never discovered modelling years ago?) and also to the good people who have aided and abetted. What a great site... twice daily I visit and always find something I have missed.

Dwg and dfx files as an option are good as I have a home laser and cut my own wood, but let's face it I will never build all the planes I want to much less have the time to fly them so PDFs are just as welcome for me.

Suggestions? The only thing I can think of is:
Numbering/linking the Pic pages - to allow jumping to the page you were on two days ago instead of having to work through each page again. I utilise the Pic pages to illustrate my plan collection so wander through there on a regular basis - at last count I have over 5000 plans plus 3 views and magazines, books and articles - cataloguing takes a fair amount of time and pics are mandatory.

The ideas so far suggested all sound good and I too say take care not to over develop the site trying to be all things to all people. By housing a magnificent collection of designs that any and everybody can access and enjoy you have truely made a wonderful creation. Thank you again.